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Sectarian clashes reportedy erupt in Edfu Muslim-Christian clashes reportedly break out in Upper Egypt following alleged attempts to build a church without official permission
Clashes reportedly erupted on Friday between Muslim and Christian residents of the village of El-Marinab in the Upper EgyptianAswan Governorate. According to witnesses in the nearby city of Edfu, clashes broke out after Muslim residents demolished a guesthouse that Christians were trying to convert into a church without an official license. In Egypt, permission from provincial governors is required to construct new churches. The guesthouse is reportedly adjacent to the village's Church of Mar Girgus (St George). Witnesses say that clashes spread when Muslim residents attacked local Christian-owned shops. Similar clashes were reported last week in the same village. Speaking on Egyptian television, Aswan Governor Moustafa El-Sayed said the situation was currently “under control” following intervention by security forces. Satellite news channel Al Jazeera on Friday also reported sectarian clashes in the Upper EgyptianLuxor Governorate.